It was 2018 when I wrote that Centurion lounges are so busy, nobody goes there anymore. I rarely stop in, even when I have the time. They’re too busy. The food isn’t as good as it used to be. And other lounges have improved.
Las Vegas Centurion Lounge Dining
This is what things looked like at 1:45 p.m. on a Monday in Las Vegas:
Credit: TravelZork
They’ve limited guest access and how much time you can spend in a Centurion lounge, but that hasn’t solved the crowding as they sign up more and more cardmembers with the promise of access. But now they’re doing something that could at least make the waits easier.
At the beginning of the year, Capital One started letting customers join the queue for their lounges through their mobile app.
- That made it possible to get in line earlier (before you reach the lounge)
- And you don’t have to physically be there standing in line.
- You get notified when it’s your turn to enter, and have 15 minutes to do so.
Now American Express has added a similar feature, based on cardmember reports. However it isn’t yet available at all of their lounges.
Was surprised when I checked the app that I could get added to a waitlist to enter the [DFW airport] lounge. Honestly kind of liked it since I refuse to stand in line outside the lounge but not against getting on a queue and walking over when its my turn. Asked the front desk and it seems they are rolling this out to all other lounges by Thanksgiving?
They’ve been testing this for some time but it appears there’s a broader roll out.
Charlotte Centurion Lounge Bar
The whole point of an airport lounge is not to wait in the terminal. There’s nothing luxury about queueing. I have a Platinum card. It pays for itself with credits against spending I would do anyway. And sometimes it’s useful for lounge access I wouldn’t have otherwise.
However, Delta for years has promoted the idea that ‘when everyone’s elite, nobody is.’ When there are so many cardmembers traveling through airports that there are lines to get into their lounges, the lounges cannot in any way be considered ‘elite’.
When American Express first opened Centurion lounges, the food was fantastic and lounges weren’t overrun. Not everyone had discovered them yet. There weren’t as many cardmembers. Those managing the budgets hadn’t quite anticipated that when you open a nice lounge, more people will show up, stay longer, and eat more. They were producing food at a smaller scale and with what seemed like a bigger budget per head.
Centurion Lounge Hong Kong Dining
Back then there were no limits on how far in advance you could arrive at a Centurion lounge, and no lines to get in. I’d love to see cardmembers offered a couple of ‘skip line line’ priorities per year, though, but digital queueing is at least a start.
Credit card premium lounges are a victim of their own success, attracting more customers (which detracts from the experience) and driving up costs (which lead to cutbacks in the experience). And a decade on even the design feels dated.
This whole idea of spending money to belong to a lounge in which you have to wait in line, the lounge is crowded, dirty and noisy, and where you even have a line to use the bathroom is beyond me. Is the need for cheap food and booze that strong?
Once the tariffs take effect, less people will renew their cards or travel, so the lounges will practically be empty.
I visited the Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas two weeks ago for the first time. Since the food selection is now very poor, I had my own food purchased in the airport. After standing in line for 30 minutes i was allowed entry. It took another 10 minutes to just find a place to sit. Then a Customer Service Rep saw me eating and came over very aggressively and told me to stop eating or immediately leave the facility because they don’t allow outside food or drink. I found the staff to be exceptionally rude. I now visit Capital One Lounges and AAdmiral Clubs as my first choice and use Centurion as a last resort.
The whole point of having lounges has been defeated, standing in line and the crowding once inside make it un-pleasurable. I hate to say it because I would be impacted, but the time has come to limit yearly visits to the centurion lounges, maybe at 20 or so??? The other option would be to increase space and the entry process, but something needs to improve.
Must…have…lounge.
Lounges are packed largely due to credit card access, but I cannot quite put my finger on it……something must have happened to drive all that credit card expansion…….
SFO has had it for years
With regards to the Centurion Lounges, AmEx use to be selective on who could get a Platinum Card. Now anyone who agrees to pay their fee gets one.
I flew through London Heathrow in late August and my wife and I went to the Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3. Very short line on a Tuesday afternoon, but it was packed inside! The front desk person was hospitable and apologetic. He also had a pre-printed list of other lounges in Terminal 3 and entry requirements. That was nice, but hinted that overcrowding and referring to another lounge is common. Because I had British Airways Silver status and we were flying BA, we decided on the Cathay Pacific lounge which was far, far superior.
I spent a fortune for the AMEx platinum card just for access to the Centurion airport lounges … I’ve still in shock as nearly every airport lounge I tried was jammed, with long waits to get in, few available seats once you got in, and poor food. Wish I could get that $600 Card fee back! Shocked!
I was at SEATAC earlier today and used the digital queue for the first time. It wasn’t too bad. I had about a 10 minute wait. Had I checked the app before hand I could have done it right when I deboarded and then walked right into the lounge. Once AMEX sends you the text message saying you can enter the lounge, you have 10 minutes to enter.
The worst part was once I got into the lounge it was actually not that busy. There were lots of empty seats. I’m not sure why they were making people wait to get in.
@Gary–how does one access the virtual queue? If it’s through the regular Amex app used for account management, I can’t find it. It’s not obvious that it’s part of the Lounge Access membership benefit section or elsewhere in the app .
If lounge access is the only reason for obtaining the Platinum card, and if access to a too busy lounge is bothersome, one is better off just dining in an airport eatery if one is not a very frequent flyer. Do the math.
I hope it working well before Christmas. I’ve got two 3 hour layovers in Charlotte and one in Phoenix.
And you’re right about the food going downhill. SEATAC breakfast a couple months ago was just about inedible. The only decent thing was the coffee bar.
The lounges are packed because people bring their 5 kids in, and let them sprawl all over the couches, like they’re in their living room. Have some manners.
I’m glad they changed the rules on letting non-card members, in.
Also…and I’ve been saying this for years, there needs to be a dress code. You walk up in sweatpants, you’re turned away. PERIOD
Take some pride in how you look. Don’t expect to come into a ‘luxury’ lounge, looking like a hobo. I get you’re getting on a long haul flight, but you can still look nice.
Gary, was wondering the same as Steve from Seattle–how do you access the queue? I looked for it and can’t find it either. Thanks.
I had the same experience as @Jake at SEATAC on Nov 4. I got on the waitlist, waited 20 minutes to get the text message, went upstairs, and there were at least 20 empty tables.
American Express (AMEX) intentionally reserves a significant amount of space in their Centurion Lounges for Centurion cardholders (commonly referred to as black cardholders). This strategy helps AMEX save costs by restricting access and providing a better experience for the more worthy Centurion members. At Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Philadelphia (PHL), and Charlotte (CLT) airports, AMEX informs card members that those who qualify for a Centurion card can immediately bypass the lounge waitlist once they successfully apply for and pay for the card.
Eligible members can access the lounge with two guests, allowing them to eat the same food in a reserved area for Centurion cardholders. It’s important to note that the AMEX Lounge is officially named the Centurion Lounge, not the AMEX Platinum Lounge.